


Mal and Zoey's Therapy Sesh

by lolzilla



Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Therapy, Written for a Class, heavily implied, i did so much research for this, mal is a bastard, the button thing was stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-06 00:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21217778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolzilla/pseuds/lolzilla
Summary: Mike sends Mal and Zoey to his therapist to work out their issues. Mal is keeping a big secret from Mike, can he trust Zoey to keep it?





	Mal and Zoey's Therapy Sesh

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so advanced warning, this is way heavier than originally intended, but I was doing some research on DID and a bunch of the little things with Mike's alters were pointing to him being sexually abused. Someone needs to protect the boy.

"I can't believe Mike is making us do this."

"You can't believe it? Last time I saw you, you tried to drown me!" Zoey crossed her arms and glanced around at the empty waiting room.

"Get over it, that was a whole year ago," Mal rested his chin on his hand, facing away from Zoey.

"Get- oh my god I hate you."

"Well don't you know how to wound a man."

"Mal, Zoey, the doctor is ready for you." The receptionist said. They both stood and entered the therapist's office. 

"Hello again Mal."

He grunted.

"And you must be Zoey. Mike has talked a lot about you, as has Mal." 

"It's nice to meet you."

"Same to you. Now, Mike arranged this session with me to help you two get along better. You don't have to be best friends but you must accept that neither one of you is going anywhere. Mal, why don't you start with a productive statement about Zoey."

He huffed, "Zoey doesn't intentionally put Mike in danger."

"Well done. Zoey, make a productive statement about Mal."

"Mal can't help being a jerk."

"That so does not count as productive."

"Zoey, let's try a positive statement."

She rolled her eyes, "Mal is good at the guitar."

"Good, how about we dive right in. Mal, why did you try to kill Zoey?"

"She wouldn't have died, there was a medic there."

"If you weren't trying to drown her, what were you trying to do?"

Mal pouted in his chair.

"Mal?"

"I was trying to scare her off."

"Zoey? Why do you think Mal was trying to scare you off?"

"Because he wanted control of the system again."

"Mal, is Zoey right?"

"No."

"Oh please, he chained up the other alters."

"I would've let them out eventually."

"Mal, why don't you tell us the reason you wanted to scare Zoey?"

"She was a threat to the system. Mike kept trying to push us away because of her."

"So you were trying to protect Mike?"

"I would never hurt Mike!" Zoey interrupted.

"You have no idea what hurts Mike."

He sat up and brushed the hair from his eyes. The therapist straightened, "Svetlana, this session is for Mal and Zoey, could you get him back please?"

"Svetlana just wanted to tell Zoey Mal is only trying to protect Mike from-” She seemed to cut herself off. 

“Shut up Svetlana,” Mal snarled.

“Mal, this may be a good way for Zoey to prove her trustworthiness.”

“Hell no.”

“I’m trustworthy, just tell me what’s wrong. I want to help!”

“Mal, you said yourself that Zoey would never intentionally harm Mike. Once she understands better don’t you think she could be an asset?”

Silence. 

“Fine, but if you mess this up I’m killing you for real.” 

“Mal, that is aggression.”

He grit his teeth, “How much do you even know about DID?”

“I’ve done some googling. I know there are different alter types and that DID is almost exclusively caused by childhood trauma.”

“That’s good enough. So basically only Svetlana and I remember what happened to us. There’s this type of alter called the protector, that’s Svetlana, whose job it is to keep the host, that’s Mike, safe. You with me still?”

“Yeah, I think so. So then you’re a protector too?”

“Kinda. I’m a persecutor, which is basically a protector who is ‘misguided’ and ‘has to stop assaulting people’.”

“So, what happened to Mike?” Zoey asked. More silence. “I understand if you don’t want to tell me.”

“Not a word of this to Mike, got it?”

“I swear on my life.”

“You bet you do.”

“Mal-”

“When he was eight our mom’s brother used to babysit. He was a disgusting piece of shit. He- He would sneak into Mike’s room-”

“Mal, it’s okay, I get it,” Zoey said. She reached a hand out to him.

“Don’t touch me!” He pulled away sharply.

“Sorry!” Zoey held her hands up, "Mal, I'm so sorry."

"Mike can't find out about this. It would break him."

"I swear to you, I won't say a word."

"This session has been very successful. Mal, I think you need a break."

He nodded and pushed his hair back.

"Hey Zo, doctor, did therapy go well?"

"It went very well Mike. You can head home."

They left the office holding hands.

"So what happened?"

"Can't say."

"Why?"

"Mal said the best way to prove he can trust me is to show that I can keep a secret."

"What's the secret?"

"It's not important."


End file.
